MILOS / ARANJUEZ 4810652

. . . an energising experience . . . he pulls off the Aranjuez with energy and aplomb, his playing demonstrating a new level of maturity and an ever-developing skill. The accompanying London Philharmonic Orchestra sounds vibrant and well-drilled under the electrifying baton of Yannick Nezet-Seguin.

Record Review /
John Suchet,
Classic FM (London) / 07. February 2014

Karadaglic has the deluxe partnership of the London Philharmonic Orchestra and Yannick Nézet-Séguin, the Canadian wunderkind maestro . . . The new disc shows him engaging with some of the greatest music to have emerged from Spain, and playing it with passion and subtlety in tribute to his guitarist idols.

Record Review /
Hugh Canning,
The Sunday Times (London) / 09. February 2014

The restraint of the LPO under Yannick Nézet-Séguin is crucial to Rodrigo's "Concierto de Aranjuez", conveying thrills with darting strings and winds that don't overwhelm the delicacy of Milos' guitar. But it's Rodrigo's "Fantasia para un gentilhombre" that is the surprise, both more quixotic and sentimental than the better-known concerto, and hugely appealing. The set concludes with a gently florid solo interpretation of Lennon & McCartney's "Michelle", Milos playing freely with the tempo.

Record Review /
Independent (London) / 14. February 2014

. . . [the album] is certainly attractive . . . an atmospheric version of "The Miller's Dance" . . . Karadaglic comes across as an interpreter of delicacy and meticulousness . . . spry accompaniments from the London Philharmonic under Yannick Nézet-Séguin.

I've loved Rodrigo's "Concierto de Aranjuez" since I was a teenager, and there's never been a better recording of it than this . . . [guitarist Milos Karadaglic] is a phenomenon . . . [a] well-recorded, beautifully performed album . . . including a charming transcription by Toru Takemitsu of The Beatles' "Michelle". A slimmed-down London Philharmonic under Yannick Nézet-Séguin accompany attentively, and this is not to be missed.

Record Review /
Daily Mail (London) / 16. February 2014

Karadaglic's playing is the epitome of passion tempered by elegance. And what is Rodrigo's "Concierto de Aranjuez" if not flamenco passion tempered by classical elegance . . . Accompanied by a very much on-form London Philharmonic Orchestra under Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Karadaglic opts for clearly defined paragraphs of great rhythmic precision within which flashing rasgueado and highly articulated passages are beautifully contrasted with fast ultra-legato scales, judiciously balanced multiple-stopping and, especially in the Adagio, a refined cantabile that is never allowed to descend into faux-pathos . . . This is a thoughtful and, I think, durable interpretation that will stand the test of time . . . the "Fantasia" is elegance and charm itself, and while both the "Homenaje" and "Danza del Molinero" luxuriate in swathes of orchestral-like colours, it's in Rodrigo's "Invocación y danza" that we find Karadaglic at his soloistic and, yes, elegant best.

Record Review /
William Yeoman,
Gramophone (London) / 01. March 2014

. . . his performances with Yannick Nézet-Séguin and the London Philharmonic Orchestra are assured and elegant . . . [Rodrigo / "Invocación y danza"]: These character pieces reveal Karadaglic introspective and searching side, which listeners will enjoy as a contrast to his more extroverted style in the larger works.

Record Review /
Blair Sanderson,
Allmusic.com / 31. March 2014

The Montenegrin's take on the most famous guitar concerto of all proves an instant success.

Record Review /
BBC Music Magazine (London) / 01. May 2014

. . . this hugely talented guitarist here tackles some of the juiciest (and most problematic) pieces in the Spanish repertoire with fabulous results. Milos Karadaglic has a feather-light touch, honeyed tone and warm bass. Musical details are well thought through, and -- like a good pianist pedalling -- he knows when, and how long, to let notes and chords ring on for colourful effect. Separate lines are superbly distinct, for instance in the foot-stamping finale of "Aranjuez", one of the clearest, crispest on record. The Concerto's famous second movement . . . is excellently done with a fine climax . . . The balance artificially upstages the orchestra (as it has to), revealing lots of guitar detail often unheard . . . The solo pieces are super too, with lots of reverb, giving a sense of mystic space. The "Homenaje" is dark, dignified and brooding, and the "Dance of the Miller" dazzles, evoking all Falla's orchestral, guitar-imitating original . . . [The "Invocacion"] is one of the best on CD, making dramatic sense of this brilliant but episodic piece, silkily knitting together those disparate tremolando, arpeggio and harmonics passages. Add a stately "Fantasia" full of nostalgic grandeur, and this is a thoroughly recommendable, beautyful disc.

. . . [the CD] is a multifaceted beauty: eloquent, warmly spirited performances of both concertos plus three solo turns that alone might justify the price of the disc . . . It's hard to know what to admire most about Karadaglić's masterly "Aranjuez". More than technically effortless, his playing reflects a profound poetic rapport with Rodrigo's flamenco-inspired music. By turns singing, incisive, sensual and brilliant, this is a recording I could imagine living with in desert-island bliss. Nézet-Séguin's all-in engagement with music and soloist is also evident in the London Philharmonic's vivacious support. And that is to say nothing of the wonderfully infectious, if perhaps less familiar, "Fantasía" . . . the "Fantasía" is a sun-lit frolic, and Karadaglić invests its charm with a distinctive regard for the graceful dances at the root of each of the four movements . . . Separating the two concertos in the CD layout are three solo works that simply remove any question of Karadaglić's place at the forefront of today's most important guitarists: a visceral, indeed electrifying account of the "Miller's Dance" from Manuel De Falla's ballet "The Three-Cornered Hat", together with a solemn, probing take on Falla's "Homenaje: Le tombeau de Claude Debussy" and a gorgeously hued performance of Rodrigo's "Invocación y danza: Homenaje a Manuel de Falla".

The young Montenegrin guitarist Milos Karadaglic continues to establish his position as one of the most exciting and communicative classical guitarists today with this flamboyant recording of works by Joaquín Rodrigo . . . and two seductive pieces by Manuel de Falla. The conductor Yannick Nézet-Séguin and the London Philharmonic Orchestra bring out the percussive rhythms and soulful melodies of these popular works.

Record Review /
Corinna da Fonseca-Wollheim,
The New York Times / 23. July 2014

The Montenegrin's classy take on this much loved Concerto remains a firm favourite.

Record Review /
BBC Music Magazine (London) / 01. September 2014

. . . [Rodrigo / "Concierto de Aranjuez"]: [Milos' approach] fits the mood of the music. What Milos does best of all is to create a fine Spanish atmosphere for the music. We get a feeling for the ornate patios, sunlit terraces, and redolent gardens of the Aranjuez palace. What he does next best is present us with a lovely "Adagio", haunting and evocative . . . sweet and sensitive . . . [Falla]: [Milos lends the pieces] an appropriately Spanish flavor . . . taking up the inflections and nuances of the landscape more than capably . . . [Rodrigo / "Invocación y danza"]: It's one of the best pieces on the program, with Milos appearing greatly to savor the color and shadings of the music . . . [Rodrigo / "Fantasía para un gentilhombre"]: Milos handles it in a refined and stately manner, filling it with rich detail . . . The third-movement dances have a particularly zesty bearing to them. Maestro Nezet-Seguin and the London Philharmonic know enough to stay out of Milos's way, lending a solid support without ever overshadowing the soloist's work . . . The recordists have captured a pleasingly agreeable sound, warm and comforting.